Setting (and re-setting) your reduction targets

“The first step in any carbon reduction strategy is to set targets that are both realistic and ambitious. It's important to carefully consider all key areas and involve a wide range of stakeholders in the process. Getting these targets right is crucial for driving real change.”

Parth Mehta, Director of Consulting, Mitie

To know where you’re going, you must first know where you are – that’s the first rule of any successful carbon reduction strategy. Which means your first step is to establish exactly what your emissions footprint looks like today, and how each part of your estate contributes to it.

This baseline will act as a foundation for all your future activities. It will allow you to make sure reduction targets are ambitious while remaining realistic. And once those targets are set, you can start to identify the best pathways to net zero.

But there is a catch…

…Your targets must be flexible to remain relevant.

Carbon reduction initiatives take time, and there are lots of things that can change along the way. For instance, your property portfolio might grow or shrink, your operations may change or new legislation could be introduced.

For this reason, it’s important to keep recalculating your targets to make sure they’re still valid, achievable and ambitious. Our advice would be to reassess them annually to check they remain in line with your wider strategic goals.

The other thing to consider is how to strike the right balance between targets that are ambitious yet realistic.

This requires a detailed understanding of the time and costs required to implement various solutions, pursue different net zero pathways and meet specific targets.

Simply put, your instinct may be to aim for the stars, but there’s no point setting a target if you don’t have the budget and strategy to support it. So, start by understanding what you have to work with. From there, you can work backwards to establish your goals.

Target-setting checklist

1

Establish a baseline of your current emissions to understand which buildings and processes contribute to your carbon footprint – and how

2

Understand your legislative requirements and deadlines

3

Set reduction targets accordingly, considering the resources realistically required to meet them

4

Revisit your targets annually to ensure they remain realistic and achievable